The siblings posed briefly for photographers at about 6.50pm on Friday before entering the house without speaking to reporters.

A spokesman for the family said Miss Thatcher, 59, would not comment ahead of her mother's funeral but may make a statement on Saturday.

Well-wishers continued to leave floral tributes throughout the day outside Lady Thatcher's Chester Square property.

Her former personal assistant Cynthia Crawford visited the house to help collect flowers left by well-wishers.

Mrs Crawford, known as "Crawfie" by the former prime minister, was Lady Thatcher's personal assistant for 35 years. Packing a box into her blue BMW after 10 minutes inside, she told reporters that "things are calming down".

Julian Seymour, the former director of Lady Thatcher's private office, also visited the property but declined to answer questions from reporters. Mr Seymour was the director of Lady Thatcher's private office from 1991 to 2000 and was one of her chief advisers.

TV personality Christine Hamilton left daffodils from her garden on the doorstep of Lady Thatcher's house this afternoon.

"She was a good friend," said the former I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! contestant and wife of former Conservative MP Neil Hamilton.